The Vanderbeekers Make A Wish
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- Create Date：2021-09-23 01:21:24
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Karina Yan Glaser
- ISBN：0358256208
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Summary
One hilarious Harlem family is on a mission to find the perfect way to celebrate their Papa's fortieth birthday while discovering more about their mysterious grandparents in this heartfelt romp and latest installment to the New York Times best-selling series， perfect for fans of the Penderwicks。
It's summer on 141st Street， and the Vanderbeekers are looking forward to Papa's surprise fortieth birthday party。
But then Papa must leave town to help his best friend and the Vanderbeeker children are surprised to find their maternal grandparents on their doorstep。 Grandma is very critical of everything they do。 Meanwhile， they find themselves learning more about their papa's father than ever before， and wishing they could have known him a bit better。 Can they learn more about the grandfather they lost and come to appreciate the grandparents they still have while making sure their papa has the best birthday ever？
It's summer on 141st Street， and the Vanderbeekers are looking forward to Papa's surprise fortieth birthday party。
But then Papa must leave town to help his best friend and the Vanderbeeker children are surprised to find their maternal grandparents on their doorstep。 Grandma is very critical of everything they do。 Meanwhile， they find themselves learning more about their papa's father than ever before， and wishing they could have known him a bit better。 Can they learn more about the grandfather they lost and come to appreciate the grandparents they still have while making sure their papa has the best birthday ever？
Reviews
Porshea DiMera
，
Looking for a sweet middle grade story about a large family full of rambunctious characters？ Well， that’s the Vanderbeekers series to a tee。 Chronicling the adventures of a family of seven， Mama， Papa， Jessie， Isa， Hyacinth， Oliver， and Laney， the Vanderbeeker series spends each book centering a primary plot point that each Vanderbeeker sibling provides point of view on。 In the fifth installment of this series， The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish， the siblings gather details on their family’s history Looking for a sweet middle grade story about a large family full of rambunctious characters？ Well， that’s the Vanderbeekers series to a tee。 Chronicling the adventures of a family of seven， Mama， Papa， Jessie， Isa， Hyacinth， Oliver， and Laney， the Vanderbeeker series spends each book centering a primary plot point that each Vanderbeeker sibling provides point of view on。 In the fifth installment of this series， The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish， the siblings gather details on their family’s history to create the best fortieth birthday present possible for their father。This book begins with plans gone awry， as Papa has to cancel the camping trip he and Oliver long looked forward to in order to help a close friend who lives in Indiana plan a funeral for their mother。 Already smarting from this disappointment， Oliver is further perturbed by the unannounced entry of his mother’s parents—his only living grandparents—who never seem to be satisfied with the lives of their grandchildren。 As the week wears on， each Vanderbeeker kid comes to understand a different element of their family history—on either side of their father’s Black， Harlem-born and raised or their mother’s Chinese-American heritage。 Spurred to spend more time learning about their father’s family after finding a letter addressed to him from their deceased grandfather， the Vanderbeekers chase down clues to figure out what their grandfather had planned for Papa’s college graduation gift， before his untimely demise。 They are assisted by their mother’s cousin， Aunt Penny， who joined their grandparents on their visit from California， and other residents of their apartment building， who we get to know more about in earlier books。 After Laney follows the night time movements of her visiting grandfather， she gains insight into some family practices that she later shares with her siblings。Read more here: https://blackgirlscreate。org/2021/09/。。。 。。。more
Rachel S
，
I just adore the Vanderbeeker family！ I was really excited for this book， but had no idea it would hit as close to home as it did。 I lost my grandfather a few months ago， so immersing myself in the story of the Vanderbeeker kids learning more about the grandfather they never knew while also coming to appreciate their living grandparents was extra emotional for me （but still balanced perfectly with humor and lightheartedness as all of the Vanderbeekers books are）。 Thank you to NetGalley and the p I just adore the Vanderbeeker family！ I was really excited for this book， but had no idea it would hit as close to home as it did。 I lost my grandfather a few months ago， so immersing myself in the story of the Vanderbeeker kids learning more about the grandfather they never knew while also coming to appreciate their living grandparents was extra emotional for me （but still balanced perfectly with humor and lightheartedness as all of the Vanderbeekers books are）。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to an early digital copy！ I can't wait to add this one to my shelf！ 。。。more
Jane
，
First I want to start by saying I am a big fan of the Vanderbeeker series。 I have loved every single book in this series。 This Harlem family is so relatable and so much fun。 Their misadventures are exciting and they work so hard to achieve their goals。 I love the Vanderbeekers！One of my favorite elements in these books is getting inside the heads of all five Vanderbeeker siblings and this book does that so well。 Isa， Jessie， Oliver， Hyacinth， and Laney all have their own distinct personalities a First I want to start by saying I am a big fan of the Vanderbeeker series。 I have loved every single book in this series。 This Harlem family is so relatable and so much fun。 Their misadventures are exciting and they work so hard to achieve their goals。 I love the Vanderbeekers！One of my favorite elements in these books is getting inside the heads of all five Vanderbeeker siblings and this book does that so well。 Isa， Jessie， Oliver， Hyacinth， and Laney all have their own distinct personalities and interests。 While they are definitely siblings， they are very different as well。 Glauser transitions between their voices seamlessly。 I always know just whose head we are in and how they feel about what's going on。 I love seeing the same scene from several points of view as the action unfolds。 And I find all five perspectives so likable and endearing。 The Vanderbeekers feel like a real family who make mistakes， celebrate big moments and love each other through it all。I really enjoyed the added dimension of family history in this book and the importance of knowing who you come from。 As the Vanderbeekers gather stories and clues to their grandpa's （Pop Pop） life and plan a spectacular 40th birthday surprise for their Papa， they learn so much about their heritage。 I loved meeting the people that were important to Pop Pop and learning their stories with the Vanderbeekers。 I wish I could learn to build a boat with Laney and Yardsley or shoot hoops with Jamal。 As they learn about their lost grandfather， they also come to appreciate the grandparents that they do have。 At first， I couldn't believe how critical their grandmother was and how silent their grandpa remained。 No wonder their relationships were not good！ But the ending of this book is absolutely beautiful as they find healing and reconciliation with them。 This is such a beautiful message about the power and importance of family -- both those that live close and far， those that you're related to by blood and who you adopt as your own。 The New York City setting is vibrant and so vivid throughout this book。 I have only been to New York City once with my family。 And now I would love to experience the Vanderbeeker's parts of the city。 There are so many details that pulled me into their world。 Their library with the librarian who knows them by name。 Castleman's Bakery for croissants， apple turnovers， and all the sweet treats。 A hole in the wall pizzeria with the best pizza in New York。 Mama's Cat Cafe for her delectable cookies。 The Brooklyn Bridge on bikes which sounds like such a fun memory！ Even just meeting the friends that become family in their brownstone。 It was so fun to catch glimpses of some of my favorite characters from previous books like Miss Josie， Mr Beiderman， Orlando and more。 I love their neighborhood and the love they feel there。 It makes me want to create a similar place for my kids to grow up and I think we are doing that now。I loved this 5th installment in the Vanderbeeker series。 The characters are as endearing and adventuring as ever。 The plot is so excited with several twists I did not see coming。 I would have liked to read Papa's reaction to the big surprise （perhaps in book 6？ ;） ） The themes of kindness， understanding and the importance of family are beautiful。 One of my favorite books in the series！ 。。。more
Kayla
，
*happy sigh* Every time I read a Vanderbeeker book。 I feel like I always end it with that happy sigh feeling。 I don’t think I truly understood what a feel-good book meant until I read this one。 The characters are lovely and compelling， and the book tackles real issues with so much heart and grace。 And I am so grateful that Ms。 Glaser never forgets that she is writing from the perspective of kids and for kids。 The children act and think realistically， sometimes very childishly because they’re chi *happy sigh* Every time I read a Vanderbeeker book。 I feel like I always end it with that happy sigh feeling。 I don’t think I truly understood what a feel-good book meant until I read this one。 The characters are lovely and compelling， and the book tackles real issues with so much heart and grace。 And I am so grateful that Ms。 Glaser never forgets that she is writing from the perspective of kids and for kids。 The children act and think realistically， sometimes very childishly because they’re children！ She incorporates issues like racism and grief with a light touch， so children can understand it。 But she never loses the light heartedness and hope that’s infused in her story。tThe Vanderbeekers are ready for another summer full of fun and laughter starting with Papa’s fortieth birthday party。 But then Papa has to leave to help a friend and Mama’s overcritical parents arrive at the Vanderbeeker’s doorstep。 While the Vanderbeekers spend more and more time with their grandparents， they miss their Papa’s father even more。 Can they learn more about the grandfather they lost and come to appreciate the grandparents they still have while making sure their papa has the best birthday ever？tI loved the storyline in this one， and how we get introduced to new characters！ Mama’s parents were definitely interesting， and I loved seeing along with the Vanderbeekers how they weren’t as horrible as it first seemed。 They had a lot of hardship in their lives especially because they were immigrants。 As an Asian American， I am so grateful that Ms。 Glaser shared some of the racism Asians face everyday。 And I loved that it was done in such a beautiful way where it didn’t overtake the story。 One of my favorite things about the Vanderbeeker books is that being Asian isn’t the only thing about them。 They are allowed to be full characters who are Asian， and I think that’s an important distinction。 I’m grateful for more authors who are showing that Asians deserve to have their own story on the pages of books。 Aunt Penny was a ton of fun too， and I can’t wait to see where her relationship with Beiderman goes！tI enjoyed learning with the Vanderbeekers about their other grandfather too！ It was so much fun to see how much this man had touched their community。 I loved the message of honoring and remembering the generations before you。 I think really for me what sums this series up is that it is full of joy。 The problems are real and important， but the book doesn’t make you stressed or sad。 It is a joy to read！ I would totally recommend this book to elementary schoolers and up。 Even though it is technically a kid’s book， I think everyone could enjoy it。I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley。 All views expressed are only my honest opinion， a positive review was not required。 。。。more
Jill
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This was fun！ I mean， it's still pretty obvious plotwise but the family is entertaining and I always know things will work out for them in the end， because it's middle grade， and I needed a comforting book to read at this time。 I'd recommend it to anyone。 In fact my Mom has been following the series so I lent her my digital arc to read as well right after I finished it。 Thanks to netgalley for the free book to read and review。 :-） This was fun！ I mean， it's still pretty obvious plotwise but the family is entertaining and I always know things will work out for them in the end， because it's middle grade， and I needed a comforting book to read at this time。 I'd recommend it to anyone。 In fact my Mom has been following the series so I lent her my digital arc to read as well right after I finished it。 Thanks to netgalley for the free book to read and review。 :-） 。。。more
Alley W。
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The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish is the 5th in the series about this very unique and lovable family。 The kids are excited for a surprise birthday party for their Papa and are trying to plan the best gift to give him。 They agree that their gift has to be epic considering it’s their papa’s 40th birthday。 Plans go awry when papa leaves home to help a friend in need， days before his surprise party。 In addition， their mama’s parents arrive a week ahead of the party and seem intent on staying the whole t The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish is the 5th in the series about this very unique and lovable family。 The kids are excited for a surprise birthday party for their Papa and are trying to plan the best gift to give him。 They agree that their gift has to be epic considering it’s their papa’s 40th birthday。 Plans go awry when papa leaves home to help a friend in need， days before his surprise party。 In addition， their mama’s parents arrive a week ahead of the party and seem intent on staying the whole time。 Mamas parents seem cold and reserved and grandma has a tendency to a bit critical about everything。 Aunt Penny visiting with them is a shining light given the gloomy circumstances。 Before leaving papa mentions his dad， Pop-pop ， as he’s cleaning out an ancient looking suitcase which belonged to Pop -pop。 The children are intrigued they never met their dad’s dad and know very little about him。 Their curiosity is further peaked when they discover something that was intended for their papa from their Pop-pop。 This starts the children on a quest to find answers to the mysteries surrounding the best gift they can think about getting their papa。 By the end of this book I was in tears。 I love how the author paints such vivid pictures and characters that draw you into the story and make you believe that you are part of the family。 Even though the Vanderbeekers are not a perfect family， they learn and grow with each other forgiving one another， accepting each other’s differences and overall enjoying life together。 。。。more
Darla
，
This series is perfection。 Please， please， please keep writing a new chapter in the Vanderbeeker story each year， Karina Yan Glaser！ I look forward to my time in Harlem with this family each year。 This year the kids are preparing to celebrate their dad's 40th birthday。 After discovering a letter that was written by their grandfather （Pop-Pop）to their father， they are inspired to plan a trip for him。 They need more information and a treasure hunt of sorts begins。 As they track down people who kne This series is perfection。 Please， please， please keep writing a new chapter in the Vanderbeeker story each year， Karina Yan Glaser！ I look forward to my time in Harlem with this family each year。 This year the kids are preparing to celebrate their dad's 40th birthday。 After discovering a letter that was written by their grandfather （Pop-Pop）to their father， they are inspired to plan a trip for him。 They need more information and a treasure hunt of sorts begins。 As they track down people who knew Pop -Pop， their plans start coming together。 Complicating life is the fact that Mama's parents have come early for the party and they are not the most compliant of guests。 Taking the grandparents to see some of the sights gives us the chance to go along。 I especially loved the Brooklyn Bridge adventure。 Mama's Treehouse Bakery and Cat Cafe' is still going strong。 Sounds like a lovely place to visit。 Spend some time with the Vanderbeekers。 If you haven't met them yet， what are you waiting for？！Thank you to Clarion Books and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Pam
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I received an electronic ARC from Clarion Books through NetGalley。This series is a delight。 Hard to believe this is the fifth book already。 Yan Glaser's Vanderbeeker family is perfect in their imperfections。 Readers see each member pursue their passions and work to support each other。 The story begins with Oliver handling disappointment about a cancelled father son camping trip。 Readers will identify with his gamut of emotions。 Papa is called out of town as a dear friend's mom passed away。 From I received an electronic ARC from Clarion Books through NetGalley。This series is a delight。 Hard to believe this is the fifth book already。 Yan Glaser's Vanderbeeker family is perfect in their imperfections。 Readers see each member pursue their passions and work to support each other。 The story begins with Oliver handling disappointment about a cancelled father son camping trip。 Readers will identify with his gamut of emotions。 Papa is called out of town as a dear friend's mom passed away。 From here， the story follows the children working to create a major birthday gift for their papa's 40th birthday。 While doing this， they also have house guests that add to the tensions and stress。 Mama's parents have arrived for an entire week ahead of the surprise party。 So many readers will connect with the generational issues。 Resolution comes when the kids find the last piece of the trip Papa's dad planned for the two of them before he died。 I like that the book ends as the family sets out on the journey and hope this means the next book will cover this cross country trip。 。。。more
Kendra McIntyre
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Thank you to @netgalley for this free egalley！ By this point， the Vanderbeekers feel like my own family。 I just love these books immensely！ I love how all the Vanderbeeker children are always trying to help someone， this time their father。 The story was totally about him， and he wasn't even there for most of the novel。 The love this family has for one another is amazing， and you can tell that Glaser is writing from real life with her family and living in New York City。 I love following her life Thank you to @netgalley for this free egalley！ By this point， the Vanderbeekers feel like my own family。 I just love these books immensely！ I love how all the Vanderbeeker children are always trying to help someone， this time their father。 The story was totally about him， and he wasn't even there for most of the novel。 The love this family has for one another is amazing， and you can tell that Glaser is writing from real life with her family and living in New York City。 I love following her life in NYC on her Instagram。 The only thing that didn't quite sit right with me was how long it took before another adult spoke up about the grandparents。 This may well be a cultural difference， but I thought that someone would have spoken up for the kids at some point。 Nonetheless， I can't wait for the next Vanderbeeker book， and I will be sad when they are done。 。。。more
Brenda
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This is a really great series！ The kids all work together well to solve a problems （sometimes problems of their own doing）。 I really like how the kids are trying to help someone throughout the books and doing something nice for someone else。 It shows a good sense of community and is a great example for anyone who reads these books。
Emily Bush
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Every Vanderbeekers book makes me happy and I am always sad when I am finished！ The Vanderbeekers never fail to entertain， and this book is no different。 This time the grandparents they don’t really know show up for an unexpected visit。 Mama is at the bakery nonstop and Papa is away so it’s up to the kids to entertain their grandparents。 Their grandmother is critical and hard to be around， and their grandfather never talks。 The kids aren’t sure what to do， but after they find a mysterious letter Every Vanderbeekers book makes me happy and I am always sad when I am finished！ The Vanderbeekers never fail to entertain， and this book is no different。 This time the grandparents they don’t really know show up for an unexpected visit。 Mama is at the bakery nonstop and Papa is away so it’s up to the kids to entertain their grandparents。 Their grandmother is critical and hard to be around， and their grandfather never talks。 The kids aren’t sure what to do， but after they find a mysterious letter from their dad’s dad， they become interested in learning more about their past - and in the process they learn more about the grandparents who are with them。 As always， the Vanderbeekers will make you laugh， cry， and learn more about yourself and the world around you。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher， Clarion Books， for the advanced copy。 。。。more
Eileen Winfrey
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Warm， familial and cozy。 Vanderbeeker fans will be delighted。 Made me feel sentimental for NYC。
Read in the
，
Every time I read a new Vanderbeekers book I am enveloped in a feeling of nostalgia。 It's like rewatching a sitcom you used to cherish from when you were younger。 You feel comforted and safe， sharing in the lives on this fictional family which feels like they belong just to you。 Karina Yan Glaser never disappoints。 Each book is better than the last。 The newest， The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish， is all of that。 When Papa's sudden trip to support an old friend in need coincides with the Vanderbeekers Every time I read a new Vanderbeekers book I am enveloped in a feeling of nostalgia。 It's like rewatching a sitcom you used to cherish from when you were younger。 You feel comforted and safe， sharing in the lives on this fictional family which feels like they belong just to you。 Karina Yan Glaser never disappoints。 Each book is better than the last。 The newest， The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish， is all of that。 When Papa's sudden trip to support an old friend in need coincides with the Vanderbeekers' maternal grandparents' visit， it's the making of a bad week。 Grandma is overly critical of everyone and everything， while Grandpa remains quiet in the background。 Mama's swamped at work， which leaves the entertainment of the relatives squarely on the shoulders of the Vanderbeeker kids。 Coincidentally， while going through some of their father's belongings they begin to learn about Papa's father， a man they never knew。 Will solving the mystery about one grandfather help their relationship with their other grandparents？ 。。。more
Larisa Molloy
，
The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish （#5 in the series）。 The newest Vanderbeekers book continues the adventure of this eclectic and fun-loving family living in Manhattan。 As the five Vanderbeeker children， ranging in age from 7 to 15， search for a worthy present for their father’s 40th birthday， they begin to forge deeper connections with their grandparents， understanding how the family stories affect how they view their parents and themselves。 Find out if the whole family is able to pull everything to The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish （#5 in the series）。 The newest Vanderbeekers book continues the adventure of this eclectic and fun-loving family living in Manhattan。 As the five Vanderbeeker children， ranging in age from 7 to 15， search for a worthy present for their father’s 40th birthday， they begin to forge deeper connections with their grandparents， understanding how the family stories affect how they view their parents and themselves。 Find out if the whole family is able to pull everything together in order to celebrate their dad’s big day… 。。。more
LibraryLaur
，
Another lovely family story about the Vanderbeekers。 I'm so sad the next one will be the last。 My son promised me he will still let me read it to him even though he will be 13 by then （sob）。*Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review。 Another lovely family story about the Vanderbeekers。 I'm so sad the next one will be the last。 My son promised me he will still let me read it to him even though he will be 13 by then （sob）。*Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Christie
，
The Vanderbeekers remain my favorite family in KidLit。 Every adventure they go on fills my heart with warmth， hope for humanity， and joy。 The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish is another hit！ Fear not: the series has NOT lost any steam！ The characters and their community are as charming， endearing， and uplifting as ever！ This time， the Vanderbeeker kids are on a mission to create the most wonderful surprise for their father's birthday。 There's an intriguing bit of mystery mixed in with this realistic fi The Vanderbeekers remain my favorite family in KidLit。 Every adventure they go on fills my heart with warmth， hope for humanity， and joy。 The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish is another hit！ Fear not: the series has NOT lost any steam！ The characters and their community are as charming， endearing， and uplifting as ever！ This time， the Vanderbeeker kids are on a mission to create the most wonderful surprise for their father's birthday。 There's an intriguing bit of mystery mixed in with this realistic fiction story when they discover a letter to their father from the grandfather they never met。 They discover so much along the way about extended family and family history。 Each new character they meet reveals to them a little more of the puzzle related to their grandfather and his letter， and it fits together in a beautifully serendipitous way。 If I could live in a fictional world with fictional characters， I'd without a doubt choose the Vanderbeekers。 。。。more
Ms。 Yingling
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E ARC provided by Edelweiss PlusThe first Vanderbeeker book was assigned for Battle of the Books， so I did finally purchase it， even though books set in New York City don't do that well with my students。 This one is fairly similar to the others， with the children getting involved in all sorts of high jinks with minimal adult supervision。 This time， their mother's parents come to stay in order to prepare for their father's birthday， but he is called away to the Midwest。 Having the grandparents， a E ARC provided by Edelweiss PlusThe first Vanderbeeker book was assigned for Battle of the Books， so I did finally purchase it， even though books set in New York City don't do that well with my students。 This one is fairly similar to the others， with the children getting involved in all sorts of high jinks with minimal adult supervision。 This time， their mother's parents come to stay in order to prepare for their father's birthday， but he is called away to the Midwest。 Having the grandparents， as well as an aunt， watching over them does not stop them from dying the cat green with food coloring and getting dye everywhere， getting pizza on the carpet， and having the take a saw to a stairway spindles when someone's head gets stuck in them。 Interestingly， they still get along with their landlord even after all that damage！ There's an old fashioned feel to these books， and a lot of fortuitous circumstances that put the children in contact with their father's father's friends， even though he died a long time ago。 I will wait to purchase this after I see if students pick up the other books in the series after reading the first。 。。。more
Amber Webb
，
The Vanderbeekers are back！ I love this family and their adventures。 I love their connections to one another， their community and their extended family。 This book brought about new people and new adventures。 I love Grandpa and the developing relationships there。 In true Vanderbeeker fashion， the book starts with A LOT of action and chaos （like you would expect） and then quickly turned into some teamwork， problem solving and relationship building。 I loved this book and just felt I wanted more at The Vanderbeekers are back！ I love this family and their adventures。 I love their connections to one another， their community and their extended family。 This book brought about new people and new adventures。 I love Grandpa and the developing relationships there。 In true Vanderbeeker fashion， the book starts with A LOT of action and chaos （like you would expect） and then quickly turned into some teamwork， problem solving and relationship building。 I loved this book and just felt I wanted more at the end！ I wanted to know what happened。 Now I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next book。 。。。more
Angie
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Loved meeting the Vanderbeekers’ extended family in this one！ ❤️
Hannah
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I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley。comFirst Line: Wild was a word that could describe the weather on 141st Street on the first Monday of August。Summary: The Vanderbeekers struggle to survive an end of summer that doesn't go exactly how they planned。 Papa's 40th birthday celebration get delayed。 The overbearing， judgemental grandparents make a surprise visit。 And then the Vanderbeekers make a long， hidden secret discovery about their family's past。 Can they work together to uncover the I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley。comFirst Line: Wild was a word that could describe the weather on 141st Street on the first Monday of August。Summary: The Vanderbeekers struggle to survive an end of summer that doesn't go exactly how they planned。 Papa's 40th birthday celebration get delayed。 The overbearing， judgemental grandparents make a surprise visit。 And then the Vanderbeekers make a long， hidden secret discovery about their family's past。 Can they work together to uncover the mystery？Thoughts: A wonderful， heartwarming continuation of the story of the Vanderbeekers。 Just went you think Karina Yan Glaser can't find anything else more endearing and beautiful for the family to experience， she pulls another discovery out of her hat。 I even think she takes this one a step further by really digging through the history of Papa and his upbringing。 It's always perplexed me what ethnicity the Vanderbeekers actually are， and you actually get a little insight near the end of the novel。FYI: This is the fifth in a series。 You definitely need to read them in order， if only to enjoy the complex discovery of all the different personalities of the family。 。。。more
Alison G。
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This book isn't 5 stars-it's a million stars。 seriously。 I love this family SO FREAKING MUCH。 Three things:1。 I NEED a Vanderbeekers road trip book！2。 This CANNOT be the last book-we all need so much more Vanderbeekers content in our lives！3。 OPEN A CAT CAFE IN HARLEM FOR REAL， PLEASE。 This book isn't 5 stars-it's a million stars。 seriously。 I love this family SO FREAKING MUCH。 Three things:1。 I NEED a Vanderbeekers road trip book！2。 This CANNOT be the last book-we all need so much more Vanderbeekers content in our lives！3。 OPEN A CAT CAFE IN HARLEM FOR REAL， PLEASE。 。。。more
Kathie
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ALL THE STARS for the latest book in the Vanderbeeker series！ These are heart-print books for me， and the author never fails to touch me with her tender， touching stories filled with laugh-out-loud moments。 This series is on my list of top five all-time favourites， and this book did not disappoint。It's almost time for Papa’s 40th birthday， and the family is planning a surprise party for him after he and Oliver return from their camping trip。 Unfortunately， the death of a close family friend canc ALL THE STARS for the latest book in the Vanderbeeker series！ These are heart-print books for me， and the author never fails to touch me with her tender， touching stories filled with laugh-out-loud moments。 This series is on my list of top five all-time favourites， and this book did not disappoint。It's almost time for Papa’s 40th birthday， and the family is planning a surprise party for him after he and Oliver return from their camping trip。 Unfortunately， the death of a close family friend cancels the trip， and Papa has to travel for the funeral。 Shortly after he departs， Mama’s parents and cousins arrive unexpectedly， and the brownstone fills with Grandma’s negative energy。 The Vanderbeeker siblings decide to plan a special birthday present for Papa， which helps them learn about and connect to their family history on Papa’s side， but they struggle to understand the family presently staying in their home。 There are some hilarious moments in this story， yet it also addresses more serious topics like racism。 The community surrounding the Vanderbeekers continued to play important roles in their lives， but I loved that the author incorporated some challenging family dynamics through which the kids had to work。 New York City came to life as the family travelled around the city， and I loved seeing it through their eyes。 My favourite part of this story is the characters and their relationships （I especially love Laney’s big heart and her even bigger ideas）。 I always put down these books feeling lucky for the time spent with this family and their friends。 I highly recommend this book， and the whole series， for readers Gr。 4-6。 I frequently recommend it as a family read-aloud and any time a patron is asking for a “feel good” story。 。。。more
Sarah
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EARC provided by Edelweiss PlusI love this family。 This addition to the series is just as entertaining as the others， and I like that it stands alone as its own story。 This series is a great choice for young advanced readers。
Simoné Eloff
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